


but it does

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: first to fight [13]
Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21680551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: It's the first time she brings Abe home that Harper realizes - not for the first time - that she'd be perfectly find with turning out absolutely nothing like her parents. It's not a fair realization, of course. Neither is the news they've decided to drop on her without any warning, though, so she thinks it's fair to consider them even.
Relationships: John "Abe" Abraham/Harper Li
Series: first to fight [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1471817
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	but it does

**Author's Note:**

> "You're an adult. Our divorce won't affect you."  
> "But it does." - Unknown

“I don’t understand why this is so important to you,” Harper huffed, walking through the front door of Abe’s apartment in late February. She wasn’t proud of it, but she was so irritated in that moment that she briefly contemplated slamming the door in her boyfriend’s face. Instead, she headed to the living room, collapsing onto the sofa and staring defiantly up at him.

“And I don’t know why you’re so eager to shut me down,” Abe fired back, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it onto the nearest armchair. “It’s not as if it’s an unreasonable request, Harper. In fact, I imagine most people would consider it a rather normal one.”

“You asking to meet my parents isn’t a _normal request_ , Abe; it’s a symptom of insanity.” She shook her head. “And you _have_ met them, so I don’t see any reason for you to go through it again.”

“The reason I need to go through it again is because I’m dating their only daughter, and I’d like to get to know them.” Abe’s eyes closed briefly, then opened a moment later, meeting hers once more. “Why is it such a ridiculous request, Harper? Because I thought we were serious…”

“We _are_ ,” she replied tiredly. “Which is exactly why I don’t want to invite my parents into this, because the second we do, they’ll want to judge it, and I don’t want them to judge it, because I’m _happy._ For the first time in a very, very long time, I am truly happy, and I don’t want them to wreck it, and I know, from experience, that they will.”

“Harper,” he said gently, reaching down to brush his fingers against her cheek, “Your parents don’t have any say in this. I’m not going to let them wreck it. It’s too important to me. _You_ are too important to me. There are exactly two people who have a say in this relationship, and that’s you and me. I honestly don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

“Are you still going to feel that way after being interrogated by my mother?” Harper questioned, only half-joking.

“I’m always going to feel that way,” he promised somberly. “And I’ve been tortured before, sweetheart. I think I’ll survive your mother,” he added, leaning down to press a kiss to the center of her forehead.

“When you actually _face_ my mother, I’m going to remind you of this conversation,” she informed him seriously. “And how you brought it on yourself.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me come home with you next weekend?” he questioned hopefully.

“Yes,” she agreed hesitantly. “But, like I said, you’re bringing it on yourself.”

“I’ll accept full responsibility,” he promised, settling onto the sofa beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, carefully pulling her into his side, then rested his chin atop her head. “We’re going to have fun,” he said softly.

“Oh, my love,” she sighed back, her eyes drifting shut as she snuggled deeper into his embrace. “You are in for one rude awakening.”

-o-

Their flight that weekend arrived in California just a little after eleven o’clock in the morning. Harper drew in a deep breath as she walked out of the airport, her fingers intertwined with Abe’s. There were a lot of things she truly dreaded every time she returned home, but the fresh air was definitely an upside.

“I seem to recall California being much warmer the last time I was here,” Abe commented, gently pulling on her hand to stop her from walking in front of a car that’d seemingly come out of nowhere. “Can’t say I missed the driving,” he added under his breath, glaring at the car as it drove away.

“It _is_ still winter here,” Harper offered with a shrug. “And while there are a lot of reasons I prefer home to here, I do feel the need to point out that it was barely in the double digits when we left Richmond.”

“That’s a fair point,” Abe allowed. “Are your parents going to be offended we’re renting a car? They did offer to pick us up,” he reminded her.

Harper smiled slightly at the captain’s naivete. “When my parents offered to pick us up, they meant they would send a car for us. My mother does not do airports. And believe me, if we go somewhere together at any point this weekend, you’re going to want me to not spend any more time in a confined space with my mother than I have to.”

“Message received,” he said quickly, following her into the reception area for the rental agency. It didn’t take any more than twenty minutes for them to emerge, this time with two sets of keys in tow. “Do you want me to drive?” he offered after they’d located the car given to them.

“Yes, please,” she replied, slipping into the passenger seat and closing the door behind her. “It’s going to take me at least fifteen minutes to talk myself into going into that house. I really shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car while I do it.”

“Sweetheart, it’s going to be okay,” he promised once more. “We’re both trained Marines. I’m pretty sure we can survive a single day of your mother and her lectures.”

“Like I said, Abraham,” she muttered, reaching for her seatbelt and strapping herself into the car. “You are in for one rude awakening when we get there.”

It took just over half an hour for them to reach her childhood home. She drew in a deep breath as Abe pulled the car into the driveway, her fingers tightening momentarily around his.

“Hey,” he murmured gently, drawing her attention away from the looming front door. “It’s you and me, Harper.”

“You and me,” Harper agreed softly, her voice shaking slightly. She shot him a trembling smile as he lifted their joint hands to press a kiss to her palm. “Okay,” she breathed, steadier than she’d been just moments before. “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this,” Abe repeated, letting go of her hand so that they could both climb from the vehicle.

Her mother’s newest maid was the one to let them in, politely offering to take their coats after she’d closed the door behind them. “Your parents are in the parlor,” she explained. “Lunch will be served in five minutes.” 

“Thank you,” Harper replied, taking Abe’s hand to lead him in the direction the other woman had gestured. “You know, they’re still far enough behind that they don’t have security cameras,” she muttered. “So, theoretically, we could probably…”

“We are not sneaking back out,” Abe interrupted firmly, though there was a hint of amused fondness in his gaze as he shook his head at her. “You do realize we’re going to have to do this eventually, right? I do plan on being around for quite a while, Harper.”

“Yes, and I want you around for a while – a very long while – and you spending any amount of time with my parents is counteractive to that desire,” Harper returned, her voice no louder than a whisper. “So, if you want to leave…”

“Harper!” her mother greeted cheerfully, rounding the corner and offering them both a polite smile. “I thought I’d heard you arrive. You haven’t been here long, have you?”

“No, no,” Harper assured her mother. “We just got here a few minutes ago. Left our coats at the door and all.”

“Good. Well, come into the sitting room and see your mother,” Elaine Li invited, turning to smile at Abe as she spoke. The smile on her face faded slightly, but it wasn’t enough for anyone who hadn’t grown up learning her facial expressions to notice. “Captain Abraham. We’re so glad you were able to make it.”

“Thank you for having me, ma’am,” Abe returned respectfully. 

“Well, our daughter’s grown rather fond of you,” Elaine said evenly. “Anyone she’s grown fond of is someone her father and I would like to get to know.”

“That’s completely understandable.”

Her mother smiled tightly. “Yes. Well, let’s sit,” she suggested once more, leading them into the living room. “Dear, our guests have arrived,” she informed Harper’s father as she reclaimed her spot next to him.

Her father barely glanced up from the newspaper he was flipping through. “Yes, darling, I heard.”

Abe shot Harper a curious look, which she returned with a half-shrug. He was the one who’d gotten into this mess; he could try to figure out her parents’ interactions on his own. God knew she hadn’t had any success in doing so over the past three decades.

“So,” her mother began, clearing her throat as she smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle on her skirt. “How has work been for the two of you recently?”

“Good,” Harper replied. “Busy. How’re things at the firm?”

“Good and busy too,” Elaine replied, offering a half-smile to her daughter before fixing her sights on Abe. “I hope the flight down wasn’t too traumatic, Captain Abraham. My daughter used to complain constantly about how long it took when she first moved to Virginia.”

“Because the turbulence was bad enough I thought the plane was going to crash,” Harper muttered under her breath, low enough that only Abe could hear her.

He shot her a sympathetic smile before answering her mother. “The flight was fine, Mrs. Li. No problems at all.”

“Well, good. I’m glad to hear it.” Elaine glanced over at her still-occupied husband, rolling her eyes when he didn’t so much as glance away from the words on the page upon feeling her gaze on him. “Where are you from originally, Captain?”

“All over the place. My father was in the Corps, too, so we moved around a lot when I was a kid. I lived in Germany, Japan…” Abe shrugged. “It was an adventurous childhood.”

“Yes, it does sound like it was.”

“Mrs. Li?” the maid interrupted politely. “Lunch is served.”

“Thank you, Kirsten,” Elaine replied, carefully standing from her seat. “We’ll be right in.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Just so you’re aware,” Harper murmured lowly as she and Abe followed her parents into the dining room, “this would be the perfect time to fake a medical emergency.”

“We’re having lunch with your parents,” he whispered back, obviously exasperated. “And then we can go to the hotel and you can complain about it the rest of the day, if you’d like.”

“Believe me,” she mumbled, drawing in a deep breath as if it would give her the strength she needed to make it through the meal, “I’m going to be doing just that.”

-o-

“Okay,” Abe conceded as they exited her parents’ home later that afternoon, eyes still wide from the revelation that’d been delivered just minutes before. “You were right. We shouldn’t have done this.”

“My parents invited me home to tell me they’re getting divorced,” Harper said, scoffing humorlessly. “With no warning whatsoever. I mean, they didn’t even _mention_ it when I was here at Christmas. Who _does_ that?”

“Apparently your parents,” Abe replied drily, his hand falling to the small of her back as he led her out to their waiting car. “You okay?” he asked once they were both inside the vehicle.

“I don’t know,” she admitted honestly, leaning her head back against the headrest. “My parents annoy the hell out of me every time I come home to visit. Things were just starting to get better with my dad, but… I don’t know. I guess I never imagined I would have to go two separate places when it came time to visit them, you know? Maybe it didn’t always seem like they were happy, but they always seemed at least content.” She shook her head. “Or maybe I just saw what I wanted to see because no kid wants to come from a broken home, no matter how old they are when it falls apart.”

“The way you’ve always told me, your parents are very good at pretending to feel differently than they do. It’s not your fault you didn’t see this coming, Harper.”

“And my mother – my mother just announced it like she was talking about the weather,” Harper added, her voice shaking slightly. “Thirty-three years of marriage, and it’s like… like losing it all is nothing to her. Like she’s not in pain, like it doesn’t even affect her. Dad’s falling apart, I could see it in his eyes, and _I’m_ falling apart, but she’s just… she’s _fine_.”

“Maybe she’s just doing a good job at hiding it,” Abe suggested, though it was clear he was only doing so in an effort to comfort her. He didn’t believe what he was saying in the slightest.

“Or maybe she just doesn’t care,” Harper offered hopelessly. “It’s not like she’s cared about anyone’s happiness but her own at any point in my life. I guess I should’ve expected this sort of reaction.”

“I’m sure that’s not how she feels.”

“I’m not sure of anything anymore,” Harper admitted, suddenly exhausted. “My entire life, there was one thing I could depend on. My parents were always going to be together. No matter what happened between the two of them, they’d work it out. And now…”

“Your parents are getting divorced. That doesn’t mean everything you thought is suddenly wrong. It _is_ possible for people to just… stop being happy, sweetheart.”

“Then you fight for it!” Harper replied sharply. “You don’t just walk away. Not if it’s love. Not if it’s _real_.”

“Yes, to people like us, that’s how it works,” Abe conceded. “But your parents, they’re different.”

“I just can’t imagine walking away,” Harper murmured, glancing over at him with eyes full of emotion. “I don’t _want_ to imagine it.”

“Neither do I,” Abe returned just as softly. “But maybe your mother has to.”

The remainder of their ride to the hotel passed in silence.

-o-

“Harper,” her mother greeted the next morning, eyeing her confusedly as she stepped aside to let her into the room. “Was I expecting you? Where’s Abe?”

“You weren’t,” Harper told her. “And he’s visiting a friend in the area. Where’s Dad?”

“At the office,” Elaine replied. “He doesn’t spend much time in the house while I’m here these days. Did you need to speak to him? Because I can call his secretary and tell her to let him know…”

“No, it’s fine. I wanted to talk to you, anyway.” Harper cleared her throat. “About the divorce.”

“Oh, Harper,” her mother sighed exasperatedly. “What is there to discuss? Your father and I have made up our minds.”

“It didn’t seem like Dad was involved in much of anything, Mom,” Harper replied. “He seemed almost as shell-shocked as I was. Did he even know you were going to say anything?”

“Well, I told him last week,” her mother replied indifferently. “We have not been happy in a very long time, Harper; I thought you knew that.”

“Everything seemed fine at Christmas,” she protested.

“Perhaps it did to you, because you’re used to the new normal, but it hasn’t been fine in years, Harper.” Elaine shook her head. “Your father and I – we aren’t happy. And I suppose it seems like a better idea to go back into the world and try to find someone who makes us happy – _truly_ happy – than to continue to pretend for the sake of keeping face.”

“That makes sense, Mom, but…” Harper hesitated, unable to figure out how to say what she wanted to say.

“You think I’m being cold,” Elaine finished evenly. “Perhaps I am, in your opinion. You’ve always loved in a different way than me. Always chased what made you happy. I don’t know where you got it from, but I really am very glad you did. Well. Other than when it’s leading you astray, of course.”

“If this is about Bard, don’t,” Harper warned. “You’re sitting here preaching about happiness and how you want the chance to pursue it, and yet…”

“You think Captain Abraham is going to make you happy?” Elaine questioned sharply. “Do you think he’s the only person you’re ever going to want to be with? Do you think you could marry him and be happy?”

“Yes, because I _love_ him, Mom,” Harper murmured defeatedly. “More than I thought it was possible to love another human being. We’ve been together two months, and I am already absolutely certain he is the love of my life. So, yes, I could spend the rest of my life with him and be happy.”

“Oh.” Elaine hesitated. “I wasn’t aware you felt that way. You never felt that way about Bard.”

“No,” Harper agreed. “I didn’t. I mean, I loved him, but…” She shook her head. “Not the way you should love the person you’re looking to spend your life with.”

“Not the way you love Abe,” Elaine finished her daughter’s unspoken thought.

“No. Not the way I love Abe.” Harper exhaled quietly. “Is that what this is? Do you love Dad the way I loved Bard?”

“I don’t know,” her mother answered honestly, her voice shaking slightly. “You have to understand, Harper, the capacity you have for love – that’s not something I’m accustomed to. It isn’t something you inherited from your father or me, and while I’m glad you have that, you have to realize that not everyone does.”

“Did you even _love_ Dad, Mom?” Harper questioned bluntly. “Ever? In any way?”

“Yes,” her mother answered definitively. “Perhaps not in the way I should have, but we – we spent over three decades of our lives together, Harper. We had _you_. I love the man who gave me this life. That does not go away just because I want to find happiness in this world.” Elaine cleared her throat. “I’m glad you found the right sort of love so early on, Harper. I really am.”

“Yeah,” Harper agreed softly. “I am, too.” She hesitated for a moment. “I love you, Mom. And I want you to be happy. I want it more than anything. So, if divorcing Dad gives you the chance to find that, then I’ll get used to the idea.”

“Thank you,” Elaine whispered gratefully.

“Of course.”

“And your father and I have already discussed it,” her mother continued. “We’ll do holidays together. Birthdays, too. We’re still going to be a family, Harper.”

“Okay,” Harper agreed, biting down on the inside of her cheek. “Well. Our flight leaves in less than three hours, so I should probably…” She gestured towards the door. “I’m glad I stopped by one last time.”

“Yes,” her mother agreed. “I’m glad I got to see you.” She stood from her seat, following her daughter to the door. She hugged her tightly, then smiled tearfully as she pulled away. “Don’t let go of that love, my daughter,” she ordered fondly. “Not now that you’ve found it.”

“I won’t,” Harper promised seriously.

Her mother’s smile grew even brighter. “Good.”

-o-

“Hey,” Abe greeted gently, standing from the airport bench he’d been waiting on and offering her a comforting smile. “How were things with your – whoa,” he muttered into her hair, knocked back slightly by the force at which she’d embraced him. “You okay?” he asked, concerned.

“I love you,” she told him. “So much.”

“Okay,” he replied slowly. “I love you too.”

“And I’m never going to stop loving you. I’m pretty sure you’re the love of my life. So, if that scares you, if you think you’re ever going to want to walk away, can we please just… stop? Because if we keep doing this and then it ends one day, I will be destroyed. I’m not like my mother. I’m – well, I’m like a swan.”

“You’re a swan?” Abe repeated confusedly.

“They mate for life,” she explained distractedly.

“Ah.” He brushed a stray tear from her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, Harper,” he promised firmly. “And I’m never going to want to go anywhere. You’re it for me, too. You’ve turned me into a swan, it seems. So.” He carefully pushed a loose strand of hair behind her left ear. “You ready to go home now?”

“Yes,” she replied softly, pulling away from him slightly to beam up at him. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay.” He grabbed their bags with one hand, wrapping the other arm around her shoulders as they made their way towards security.

“Okay,” she repeated, leaning her head against his shoulder.

And for the first time since she’d learned of her parents’ divorce the day before, it seemed like everything truly might be.

**Author's Note:**

> So... didn't take me a full month this time around! I almost cried writing this, so, if you cried reading it - I feel your pain, and I apologize profusely. I felt like this was a very important thing to write, though, because I feel like previous works in this series have allowed Harper to see her father as a human being, but her mother still seemed rather cold and unapproachable to her. I think there's a lot to be said for realizing happiness isn't something you should have to live without, no matter how long you HAVE lived without it. And yes, her parents are divorced in the Thanksgiving story. It isn’t explicitly mentioned, but I feel like, after nearly a year, Abe and Harper would've been so used to it that they would not have brought it up. I've based a lot of Harper's interactions with her mother off of Lorelai Gilmore's interactions with her mother on Gilmore Girls. That is my favorite complicated mother-daughter relationship I've ever seen on-screen, so I hope this did it a bit of justice.


End file.
